After the Storm
by Raechellaa19
Summary: The liars and their friends try to move on 2 months after they were rescued. The liars have their own scars, Jason has his guilt, and the town of Rosewood have their own versions of what happened. Aria/Jason Allison/Lorenzo


2 months later and the town of Rosewood seemed to be moving on No one knew or cared to know the scars that teenage girls would always carry with them. The jumpiness, the nightmares, and the anxiety, were only a few of the ways the teenagers still suffered from what happened months ago.

They were kidnapped.

They were tortured.

They found out Jason's twin brother was A.

Charles didn't bother hiding his face because in his mind the four girls were never getting out of his 'dollhouse'. Charles and Jason were fraternal twins, but anyone could see the similarities between the two. Spencer was the most shocked when she found about having another brother. She felt guilty even when they reassured her she was not responsible for Charles's actions any more than Jason was.

When they did finally manage to escape they were found in the woods covered in bruises, starved, and dehydrated. Aria had been hospitalized for a 2 weeks before her body recovered from the tortured she endured. Emily put on a brave face as she left hospital, no one could see the inner turmoil inside. Spencer was a walking zombie as she avoided the reporter's questions and flashing lights. As soon as Hanna saw the flashing lights of the camera she broke down. She was on suicide watch for a week.

After Jason heard of the safe return and his dad told him about his long lost brother, he was ate up with guilt. Someone who shared his blood had kidnapped four innocent girls for nothing more than his sick amusement. He was going to leave Rosewood and everyone in it. He couldn't live in that town, see those girls, and not feel guilty. Allison stopped him that night because she knew better than anyone that running never solved anything. In other words, she told him to man up.

Jason started with Emily first. She was always the most compassionate and understanding, and that's what she was. She didn't judge him over what he had no control over. Spencer was the easiest to come to. After all, he was her brother too. She was to first to make a move. She hugged him and said sorry because she felt the same guilt he did. That was all that was needed to know that it wasn't his fault, because he would tell Spencer it wasn't hers.

Hannah was the hardest to come to. According to Allison and Spencer the young girl was scared of her own shadow. Not that Jason blamed her. The town of Rosewood would never know what really happened during that month in captivity. Jason went to her house to apologize. She didn't like to go outside much. Hannah invited him in and they sat in silence for five minutes. She gave him a small smile and said, "It's okay. I'm okay." Jason knew that was a good a sentence that Hannah was capable of giving so he took it.

Jason had the most nerves when he went to talk to Aria. He saved her last for a reason. The Aria that Charles turned her into was angry and better. He tried calling first because he couldn't bring himself to see her. When she didn't answer any of his messages he went to her house. Her mother told him in a tired voice that she was "out." Jason saw the same look on his parent's face when they had to explain to their rich friends that they didn't know where their own son was.

After that Jason began to hang out a places in Rosewood that Aria would normally go, but he never did find her. Eventually he called Fitz. Ezra didn't question his intentions like Jason thought he would. Instead he told him that he hadn't heard from Aria in 2 weeks. It was 3 weeks after they were rescued that Jason finally found Aria at a party. What started off as an apology turned into a screaming match between Jason and a drunk Aria. After that he tried to resume some resemblance of a normal life.

Emily seemed to be dealing the best mentally. Therapy seemed to do her some good after the attack. She managed to go back to finish her senior year and tried her best to be normal teenager. As normal as she could be. Everywhere she went in Rosewood there seemed to be some reminder or an old newspaper clipping that brought everything back. She pushed forward, she had to. Spending time with Caleb seemed to be helping too. With everyone avoiding each other Emily and Caleb were the only ones who talked on a regular basis.

Spencer didn't use therapy as an outlet, instead she turned to pills. Her parents had their suspicions, but she knew they were afraid of voicing them for fear of setting her off. She first took them from Aria when Aria mentioned feeling out of control when she took them. When Aria's ran out she got creative about how she obtained them. She told Toby she needed a break, her parents that she needed out of Rosewood, and she told Melissa that she wanted to stay with her.

The not sleeping took a psychical toll on Hannah and when she did sleep her nights were plagued with nightmares. It just became easier not to sleep. She didn't even leave the house. Hannah always carried around this feeling in the pit of her stomach that something bad was going to happen. Although, nothing ever did. Caleb tried, he really did. After a while Hannah distanced herself from him. She distanced herself from everyone.

Aria thought she okay. She was dealing with it. The nightmares were becoming less frequent.. Everything was okay, as long as she didn't think. When she thought her brain immediately went to the dark place. The place she worked so hard to avoid. Most days she just had herself to talk to. She avoided her family, she avoided her friends, and she avoided Ezra. She didn't want any reminders of the girl she was supposed to be to them. Each time she had a different name and a different personality. Rosewood Aria was a different person. She was bitter and angry and not in control of her emotions.

While Hannah, Emily, Spencer, and Aria seemed to be trying to deal with the trauma in their own way, Allison was doing the exact opposite. She avoided talking about what happened to her friends or her messed up family tree. Everyone in Rosewood avoided her like the plaque. Maybe it was for the best. Everything she touched she destroyed. Her actions blinded Jenna, Ezra got shot cleaning up her mess, and her friends got kidnapped because of her.

Every time Allison tried to talk to her father about her guilt he just told her it wasn't her fault. Allison learned early on in her life that being DiLaurentis meant you never got blamed or were held responsible for your actions. Jason was the only person Allison turned to, and Lorenzo of course. As small as the town of Rosewood was Allison knew it was bound to happen. The rumors, most true, didn't persuade the cop to stay away from her. Over the past 2 months he found any reason to start a conversation with her.

2 months and everyone was still recovering.

The nightmares still came to them when they least expected it.

They were tired of the stares and hushed whispers.

According to the town of Rosewood…..they were broken.

A/N: What couples would you like to see besides Aria/Ezra, Spencer/Toby, Allison/Emily, Hannah/Caleb?


End file.
